EP0365196A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Medical droplet whole blood and like monitoring
Assignee: Thorne Smith Astill Technologies Inc
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Filing: 1989-10-10
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2009-10-10
Abstract
Abstract Lancet (384) by which a fingertip is pierced by a sharp finger pricking means (474) which is connected to a retractable trigger means (468), memory means (458) in force transmitting relation with the trigger means in order to penetrate into and retract from a finger to acquire a droplet of blood. Further the invention relates to a device for an assay wherein a mercury substance released from a free or bound tracer is caused to eventually amalgamate with aluminum, and the presence and/or amount of analyte is determined by changes in the metal resulting from the eventual amalgamation which may be measured electrically or by other means. The invention also relates to novel lancets, analyte sensors and sensor packets and related methods.
Inventors
- 👤 Roger E. Smith
- 👤 Mark E. Astill
- 👤 Jay L. Smith
- 👤 Gale H. Thorne
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-28 19:47
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01N; G01N33/00; G01N33/48; G01N33/50; G01N33/66; A; A61; A61B; A61B5/00; A61B5/15; A61B5/150007; A61B5/150015; A61B5/150022; A61B5/150374; A61B5/150381; A61B5/150412; A61B5/150435; A61B5/150503; A61B5/150511; A61B5/151; A61B5/15101; A61B5/15103; A61B5/15107; A61B5/15113; A61B5/15115; A61B5/15117; A61B5/15146; A61B5/15148; A61B5/15149; A61B5/15155; A61B5/15157; A61B5/15174; A61B5/157; C; C12; C12Q; C12Q1/00; C12Q1/68; C12Q1/6813; C12Q1/6816; C12Q1/6823; G01N33/53; G01N33/543; G01N33/54366; G01N33/54373; G01N33/5438; G01N33/58; G01N33/581; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S435/00; Y10S435/81
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 58
Claim 1
Independent Claim
121 words
One-piece lancet by which a fingertip or the like of a medical patient is pierced to acquire a droplet of blood characterized by: displaceable distal means comprising sharp distal tip means by which the skin and subcutaneous tissue of the medical patient is punctured to provide a droplet of blood; means with memory which bias the distal means toward an unstressed position; means by which the distal means are selectively releasibly placed into a displaced stressed position counter to the bias of the means with memory; whereby the distal means and the sharp distal tip means thereof are displaced under force of the memory of the means with memory a predetermined distance into the fingertip when released from the stressed position.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
121 words
One-piece lancet by which a fingertip or the like of a medical patient is pierced to acquire a droplet of blood characterized by: displaceable distal means comprising sharp distal tip means by which the skin and subcutaneous tissue of the medical patient is punctured to provide a droplet of blood; means with memory which bias the distal means toward an unstressed position; means by which the distal means are selectively releasibly placed into a displaced stressed position counter to the bias of the means with memory; whereby the distal means and the sharp distal tip means thereof are displaced under force of the memory of the means with memory a predetermined distance into the fingertip when released from the stressed position.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
15 words
The one-piece structure according to claim 1 wherein the distal means comprise linear rod-shaped means.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
17 words
The one-piece structure according to claim 1 wherein the sharp distal tip means comprise a beveled point.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
16 words
The one-piece structure according to claim 1 wherein the means with memory comprise coiled spring means.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
96 words
The one-piece structure according to claim 4 wherein the distal means comprise L-shaped trigger means bridging between a trailing end of the distal tip means and one end of the coiled spring means and wherein the releasible placing means comprise displaceable stop means connected to a second end of the coiled spring means against which one leg of the L-shaped trigger means is contiguously cocked in the displaced stressed position whereby the tip means are releasibly held in the displaced stressed position pending displacement of the stop means out of contiguous relation with the trigger means.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
15 words
The one-piece structure according to claim 1 wherein the structure comprises a continuous shape-retaining wire.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
106 words
A precocked lancet for pricking a fingertip or the like of a medical patient characterized by sharp finger pricking means, retractable trigger means connected to the finger pricking means, memory means in force-transmitting relation with the trigger means and trigger precocking means by which the trigger means and the finger pricking means are placed and releasibly held in retracted position counter to the force exerted by the memory means whereby release of the trigger means and the finger pricking means from the retracted position cause a magnitude of travel by which the finger pricking means penetrate into and retract from a finger of a medical patient.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
106 words
A precocked lancet for pricking a fingertip or the like of a medical patient characterized by sharp finger pricking means, retractable trigger means connected to the finger pricking means, memory means in force-transmitting relation with the trigger means and trigger precocking means by which the trigger means and the finger pricking means are placed and releasibly held in retracted position counter to the force exerted by the memory means whereby release of the trigger means and the finger pricking means from the retracted position cause a magnitude of travel by which the finger pricking means penetrate into and retract from a finger of a medical patient.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
26 words
A lancet according to claim 7 further characterized by an initially hermetically sealed housing encapsulating the lancet, the housing comprising frangible means for opening the housing.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
40 words
A lancet according to claim 7 further characterized in that the lancet is contained within a disposable housing in the retracted position and the pricking means extend from the housing to penetrate the finger and thereafter retract into the housing.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
80 words
A method of using the lancet of claim 9 to obtain a droplet blood sample from a medical patient characterized by the steps of: providing the precocked releasible lancet contained in the disposable housing; placing the housing at a fingertip or the like of a medical patient; manually actuating the trigger means to thereby release the lancet from its precocked retracted position causing displacement of at least part of the lancet and penetration by the pricking means of the fingertip.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
42 words
A method according to claim 10 further characterized by the step of retracting the pricking means of the lancet into the housing immediately following said penetration whereby the housing with the lancet means concealed therein may be discarded as a nondangerous unit.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
20 words
A method according to claim 10 wherein the manual actuating step comprises breaking the housing at a frangible site thereof.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
47 words
A liquid analyte sensor characterized by a mercury substance which is released into the liquid in correlation to the quantity of analyte in the liquid responsive to contact between the liquid and the mercury substance and a detector which determines the amount of mercury substance so released.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
47 words
A liquid analyte sensor characterized by a mercury substance which is released into the liquid in correlation to the quantity of analyte in the liquid responsive to contact between the liquid and the mercury substance and a detector which determines the amount of mercury substance so released.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
14 words
A liquid analyte sensor according to claim 13 wherein the liquid is whole blood.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
33 words
A liquid analyte sensor according to claim 13 wherein the prereleased mercury substance and the detector are further characterized in that they are contained within a housing, which housing carries a precocked lancet.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
19 words
A liquid analyte sensor according to claim 15 wherein the housing is characterized as being initially frangibly hermetically sealed.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
19 words
A liquid analyte sensor according to claim 13 wherein the housing is characterized by a capillary blood ingress channel.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
22 words
A liquid analyte sensor according to claim 17 wherein the prereleased mercury substance is characterized as being disposed in a porous substance.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
38 words
A liquid analyte sensor according to claim 18 wherein a mercury releasing substance is characterized as being disposed in the porous substance causing the mercury substance to be released upon infiltration of the liquid into the porous substance.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
31 words
A liquid analyte sensor according to claim 19 wherein the detector is characterized by an aluminum substance comprising an exposed surface, the aluminum substance being disposed adjacent to the porous substance.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
19 words
A liquid analyte sensor according to claim 13 wherein the detector comprises an aluminum substance comprising an exposed surface.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
117 words
A method of using the sensor of claim 20 to obtain and test a droplet whole blood sample comprising the steps of: pricking the finger or the like of a medical patient to produce a droplet of whole blood; causing whole blood from the droplet to be displaced to the detector; characterized by correlating the release of mercury substance with the quantity of analyte to be detected consequential of contact between the whole blood and the mercury substance; altering the form of the released mercury substance; delivering the altered released mercury substance to the aluminum surface causing interaction between mercury and aluminum as a function of analyte; detecting at least one characteristic or property of said interaction.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
22 words
A method according to claim 22 wherein the correlating step characterized by freeing mercury tracer in the presence of the whole blood.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
27 words
A method according to claim 22 wherein the altering step is characterized by releasing mercury substance from freed mercury tracer in the presence of the whole blood.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
26 words
A method according to claim 24 wherein the altering step is characterized by release of at least some mercury in ionic form from freed mercury tracer.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
15 words
A method according to claim 22 wherein the measuring step comprises electrically sensing said interaction.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
13 words
A liquid analyte sensor according to claim 13 comprising a mercury releasing substance.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
33 words
A liquid analyte sensor according to claim 27 wherein the releasing substance is characterized by a mercury tracer substance from which a first mercury substance is freed in the presence of the liquid.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
21 words
A liquid analyte sensor according to claim 28 comprising a substance by which the form of the released mercury is changed.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
20 words
A liquid analyte sensor according to claim 28 wherein the mercury tracer substance is characterized by a porous tracer pad.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
34 words
A liquid analyte sensor according to claim 29 the form changing substance is characterized by a reagent which releases a second mercury substance from the first mercury substance in the presence of the liquid.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
38 words
A liquid analyte sensor according to claim 13 characterized by the prereleased mercury substance and the detector are contained within a housing which is initially hermetically sealed and which is selectively opened to allow entry of the liquid.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
30 words
A liquid analyte sensor according to claim 13 characterized in that at least one other substantially identical liquid analyte sensor is connected in series with the sensor for sequential use.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
23 words
A liquid analyte sensor according to claim 33 wherein the housing is characterized by distally disposed tab means for manual grasping and manipulation.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
24 words
A liquid analyte sensor according to claim 33 wherein the sensor and the other sensor are characterized by being connected at a frangible section.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
23 words
A liquid analyte sensor according to claim 35 wherein the frangible section comprises a detent for correctly positioning the sensors in an instrument.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
25 words
A liquid analyte sensor according to claim 13 wherein the detector comprises conductor means by which electrical activity of the released mercury substance is ascertained.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
31 words
A liquid analyte sensor according to claim 33 characterized in that the detector of the sensor and other sensor comprises common frangible conductor means which bridge across the series connection site.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
57 words
A liquid analyte sensor characterized by a disposable support, an ingress path by which an analyte-containing liquid reaches a test site and interacting substances at the test site comprising a mercury substance and an aluminum substance which, the presence of analyte-containing liquid, cause a measurable interaction in correlation to the quantity of analyte present in the liquid.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
57 words
A liquid analyte sensor characterized by a disposable support, an ingress path by which an analyte-containing liquid reaches a test site and interacting substances at the test site comprising a mercury substance and an aluminum substance which, the presence of analyte-containing liquid, cause a measurable interaction in correlation to the quantity of analyte present in the liquid.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
32 words
A liquid analyte sensor according to claim 39 characterized in that the aluminum substance is an electrode comprising a surface area exposed to the liquid when present and the interaction is electrical.
Claim 45
Dependent Claim
24 words
A liquid analyte sensor according to claim 39 characterized by liquid response means by which the presence and adequacy of the liquid is ascertained.
Claim 46
Dependent Claim
38 words
A liquid analyte sensor according to claim 39 further characterized by a lancet carried by the support for piercing the skin and subcutaneous tissue of a patient to obtain liquid in the form of blood for the sensor.
Claim 47
Dependent Claim
92 words
Method of using the sensor of claim 13 to test a liquid sample for a predetermined analyte characterized by the steps of; delivering liquid sample comprising an analyte to the site of the unreleased mercury substance; releasing, in the presence of the liquid sample, mercury substance as a function of the quantity of analyte present in the liquid sample; contiguously delivering released mercury substance to the detector causing an interaction at the detector as a function of the quantity of analyte present in the liquid sample; ascertaining the magnitude of said interaction.
Claim 48
Dependent Claim
24 words
A method according to claim 43 further characterized in that the released mercury substance is delivered to an exposed aluminum surface of the detector.
Claim 49
Independent Claim
65 words
A method of flow detection of analyte in a liquid characterized by the steps of: displacing analyte liquid from an influent site to a flow through tracer site; displacing the liquid and tracer from the flow through tracer site to a flow through reagent site; displacing the liquid and released tracer substance from the flow through reagent site to a released tracer substance/sensor interaction site.
Claim 50
Independent Claim
65 words
A method of flow detection of analyte in a liquid characterized by the steps of: displacing analyte liquid from an influent site to a flow through tracer site; displacing the liquid and tracer from the flow through tracer site to a flow through reagent site; displacing the liquid and released tracer substance from the flow through reagent site to a released tracer substance/sensor interaction site.
Claim 51
Dependent Claim
72 words
A single use disposable liquid analyte sensor comprising test site means to which the analyte liquid is delivered characterized as comprising mercury tracer means, mercury releasing means and aluminum means whereby mercury and aluminum react at at least one surface of the aluminum in the presence of analyte liquid to create electrical signals representative of the analyte concentration and conductor means by which the signals are communicated from the test site means.
Claim 52
Dependent Claim
72 words
A single use disposable liquid analyte sensor comprising test site means to which the analyte liquid is delivered characterized as comprising mercury tracer means, mercury releasing means and aluminum means whereby mercury and aluminum react at at least one surface of the aluminum in the presence of analyte liquid to create electrical signals representative of the analyte concentration and conductor means by which the signals are communicated from the test site means.
Claim 53
Dependent Claim
50 words
A liquid analyte sensor characterized by mercury-aluminum analyte test means to which liquid sample comprising analyte is delivered to create mercury-aluminum activity which causes electrical signals as a function of analyte concentration in the liquid sample, means by which signals are communicated to a site remote from the test means.
Claim 54
Dependent Claim
50 words
A liquid analyte sensor characterized by mercury-aluminum analyte test means to which liquid sample comprising analyte is delivered to create mercury-aluminum activity which causes electrical signals as a function of analyte concentration in the liquid sample, means by which signals are communicated to a site remote from the test means.
Claim 55
Dependent Claim
115 words
Multiple whole blood analyte sensor characterized by: a housing; a liquid ingress pathway at the housing; characterized by sensing means each at a plurality of test sites each comprising means for ascertaining the concentration of a whole blood analyte different from the whole blood analyte being determined at the other sensing means; means communicating ingress whole blood to each test site; each sensing means comprising mercury-aluminum interaction means producing, in the presence of whole blood, activity as a function of the specific analyte the concentration of which is being ascertained at said sensing means; means measuring the interactivity produced at each interaction means; means communicating each measurement to a site remote from each sensing means.
Claim 56
Dependent Claim
115 words
Multiple whole blood analyte sensor characterized by: a housing; a liquid ingress pathway at the housing; characterized by sensing means each at a plurality of test sites each comprising means for ascertaining the concentration of a whole blood analyte different from the whole blood analyte being determined at the other sensing means; means communicating ingress whole blood to each test site; each sensing means comprising mercury-aluminum interaction means producing, in the presence of whole blood, activity as a function of the specific analyte the concentration of which is being ascertained at said sensing means; means measuring the interactivity produced at each interaction means; means communicating each measurement to a site remote from each sensing means.
Claim 57
Dependent Claim
82 words
A liquid analyte successive sites sensor characterized by the seriatum steps of: liquid ingress means spanning between first and second locations; tracer means disposed between second and third locations where tracer is freed upon the flow of liquid thereto as a function of analyte concentration; reagent means disposed between third and fourth locations where tracer is treated by reagent; means disposed at the fourth location where the reagent treated tracer interacts to produce measurable activity as a function of the analyte concentration.
Claim 58
Dependent Claim
82 words
A liquid analyte successive sites sensor characterized by the seriatum steps of: liquid ingress means spanning between first and second locations; tracer means disposed between second and third locations where tracer is freed upon the flow of liquid thereto as a function of analyte concentration; reagent means disposed between third and fourth locations where tracer is treated by reagent; means disposed at the fourth location where the reagent treated tracer interacts to produce measurable activity as a function of the analyte concentration.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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